Workflow Optimization Recap and What’s Coming September 9th

On August 11th, Leon Seemann, CFRE, joined us to walk through how nonprofit leaders can build workflows and systems that support their organization as it grows.

In this session, Leon and Deena cover:

• Making decisions well: leading with intentionality, setting a consistent communication cadence, scheduling quarterly strategic think time outside the office, and getting the right people at the table without slowing every decision to consensus
• Operations and technology: establishing workflow transparency so everyone knows who does what and when, choosing a project management tool your team will use, automating where it makes sense, and documenting processes so institutional knowledge does not walk out the door
• Who gets it done: tracking time to spot capacity issues before they become burnout, progressing from consultant to part-time to full-time hire as a way to test new functions, reviewing compensation structures annually, and giving fundraisers the 18-month runway they need
• How you know if it worked: tying performance evaluations to what you asked of your team, measuring impact rather than output, running pulse checks through open-ended questions and one-on-ones, and watching for warning signs like missed deadlines and increased errors
• Rules of the road: understanding the difference between policies you enforce 100% of the time and guidelines that give staff room to use judgment, building trust through consistency and transparency, and identifying the red lines your organization will not cross

The session closes with a live Q&A covering free project management tools for smaller organizations, pulse check methods including stay interviews, compensation benchmarking, automation options within Google Workspace and AI tools, and how to build workflows that accommodate staff and community members with different levels of tech access.

Every attendee walked away with a ready-to-use checklist to bring back to their team and start working through immediately.

If you missed it, the recording is live now. Watch it here:

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 | 12 PM EST

Our final session of the year brings the series full circle. Jessica DeVito of Nonprofit People will lead Fundraising: Sustaining Your Mission.

Strong operations give your organization the stability to grow, and fundraising gives it the fuel to keep going. Jessica will share what nonprofit leaders need to have in place to build a fundraising program that supports the mission year after year.

Know someone who would benefit? Forward this email or share the link! This series is open to anyone leading or operating a nonprofit, and the more organizations we can reach, the better.